I unknowingly vacuumed some asbestos – is my shop vac done for?
I tore out a 4×8 sheet of drywall then bagged the drywall and swept and shop vacuumed the area. At the time I didn’t think it had asbestos fibers but I later had it tested and found out that there is 2% chrysotile in the joint compound. Should I be concerned that the shop vac is contaminated? If so, is there any hope for the shop vac or do I need to dispose of it in order to be safe? Also, what about the surrounding area? Would wiping it down thoroughly with damp towels be sufficient to safely clean up?
Replies
Replace the filter and damp-wipe the interior. Flush the hose with water.
If it's a Fein
Ship it to me, it's junk and I'm a licensed disposal facility for contaminated Fein vacs.
Otherwise change the filter and forget it.
Joe H
I can gaurantee that, unlike Bill Clinton, I have inhaled a hundred times as much as your vacumn has. Don't be so worrisome